Pål Arne Fagernes
Encyclopedia
Pål Arne Fagernes was a Norwegian
javelin throw
er. He represented Asker SK and IK Tjalve
during his active career.
As a junior, Fagernes competed on top national level in cycling
, athletics and cross country skiing.
He made his international athletics debut at the 1994 European Cup, and competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics
, 1997 World Championships
and 1998 European Championships
without reaching the final rounds. His international breakthrough came at the 1999 World Championships
in Seville, where he finished fourth with a Norwegian record throw of 86.24 metres. At the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney he established a Norwegian record of 86.74 metres in the qualifying round. In the final he threw 83.04 metres to finish ninth. His 86.74 m throw remained his career best.
His first medal at the Norwegian championships was a silver medal in 1994. He became Norwegian champion in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2002. In 2002 Fagernes decided to take up boxing. He boxed one professional boxing
match in the heavyweight
class in 2003, which he beat his opponent Peter Simko
on technical knockout after 25 seconds.
Over the years Fagernes' sporting career became tainted by personal problems. In 2000 he was sentenced to 18 days in prison for letting an intoxicated person drive his car. In 2001, shortly after withdrawing from the 2001 World Championships
for disciplinary reasons, he was caught using cocaine
in a police razzia. He was, however, cleared of doping
charges. In April 2003 he was charged with property damage
after walking on a car roof in Oslo
.
Fagernes died in a car accident on the European route E6
north of Moss
in August 2003, when his car collided with a lorry. His Norwegian record would remain until June 2005, when it was improved to 86.82 metres by reigning Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen
. Thorkildsen would later improve the record further.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
javelin throw
Javelin throw
The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
er. He represented Asker SK and IK Tjalve
IK Tjalve
Idrettsklubben Tjalve is a Norwegian athletics club from Oslo, founded on 27 December 1890. It is named after Þjálfi in Norse mythology.It is one of the most prominent athletics clubs in Norway, and numerous members have represented Norway in international competitions.IK Tjalve uses the Bislett...
during his active career.
As a junior, Fagernes competed on top national level in cycling
Cycling
Cycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
, athletics and cross country skiing.
He made his international athletics debut at the 1994 European Cup, and competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, 1997 World Championships
1997 World Championships in Athletics
The 6th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece between August 1 and August 10, 1997. In this event participated 1882 athletes from 198 participant nations...
and 1998 European Championships
1998 European Championships in Athletics
The 17th European Athletics Championships were held from 18 August to 23 August 1998 in Budapest, the capital city of Hungary.-Track:1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |2006 |-Field:1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |2006 |-Track:1990 |1994 |1998 |2002 |2006 |-Field:...
without reaching the final rounds. His international breakthrough came at the 1999 World Championships
1999 World Championships in Athletics
The 7th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Estadio Olímpico, Seville, Spain, between the August 20 and August 29....
in Seville, where he finished fourth with a Norwegian record throw of 86.24 metres. At the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney he established a Norwegian record of 86.74 metres in the qualifying round. In the final he threw 83.04 metres to finish ninth. His 86.74 m throw remained his career best.
His first medal at the Norwegian championships was a silver medal in 1994. He became Norwegian champion in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2002. In 2002 Fagernes decided to take up boxing. He boxed one professional boxing
Professional Boxing
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, emerged in the early twentieth century as boxing gradually attained legitimacy and became a regulated, sanctioned sport. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse which is divided among the fighters and promoters as determined by contract...
match in the heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
class in 2003, which he beat his opponent Peter Simko
Peter Simko
Peter Simko is a heavyweight boxer from Slovakia. Simko gained some notoriety when he fought Norwegian javelin throwing champion Pal Arne Fagernes on April 6, 2003...
on technical knockout after 25 seconds.
Over the years Fagernes' sporting career became tainted by personal problems. In 2000 he was sentenced to 18 days in prison for letting an intoxicated person drive his car. In 2001, shortly after withdrawing from the 2001 World Championships
2001 World Championships in Athletics
The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event had visited North America...
for disciplinary reasons, he was caught using cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
in a police razzia. He was, however, cleared of doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
charges. In April 2003 he was charged with property damage
Property damage
Property damage is damage to or the destruction of public or private property, caused either by a person who is not its owner or by natural phenomena. Property damage caused by persons is generally categorized by its cause: neglect , and intentional damage...
after walking on a car roof in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
.
Fagernes died in a car accident on the European route E6
European route E6
European route E 6 is the designation for the main north-south road in Norway, and the west coast of Sweden, running from the southern tip of Sweden, at Trelleborg, into Norway and through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. The route ends close to the Norwegian border with Russia...
north of Moss
Moss, Norway
is a coastal city and a municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the town of Moss. The city of Moss was established as a municipality on 1 January 1838...
in August 2003, when his car collided with a lorry. His Norwegian record would remain until June 2005, when it was improved to 86.82 metres by reigning Olympic champion Andreas Thorkildsen
Andreas Thorkildsen
Andreas Thorkildsen is a Norwegian javelin thrower, born in Kristiansand. He is the first male javelin thrower in history to be European champion, World champion and Olympic champion...
. Thorkildsen would later improve the record further.
Achievements
| 1996 | Olympic Games | Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in... , USA |
13th | 79.78 m |
| 1997 | World Championships | Athens, Greece | 20th | 75.66 m |
| 1998 | European Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 16th | 77.54 m |
| 1999 | World Championships | Seville, Spain | 4th | 86.24 m |
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 9th | 83.04 m |